Worth The Hype? BeneFit They're Real Mascara

I reviewed BeneFit's They're Real many moons ago when I tried it out for the first time but the photos are hideous and given that I'm about to purchase my fourth tube of this mascara, I figured it was worth revisiting.

 They're Real received a huge amount of attention when it launched and that always makes me incredibly skeptical; surely it couldn't be as good as everyone was claiming, right? Any concerns I had regarding this product vanished after the first few times I used it and for the last year every other mascara I've tried has failed to live up to the standard set by They're Real. 

So why is it so good?

Have you ever tried a mascara and loved the brush only to find the formula was a bit rubbish or vice versa? I find that quite often; They're Real is one of the few exceptions for me. The brush has lots of plastic bristles which coat individual lashes with just the right amount of product. It also has a little spiked ball on the end of the wand which is great for reaching smaller lashes or adding extra product to the outer lashes. The formula is great; it doesn't run or smudge on me at all which is almost a miracle! It also holds a curl amazingly well.

Before

The main gripes people seem to have with They're Real is that it looks too full on or a bit clumpy and that it can be difficult to remove. To prevent spider-lashes I avoid applying more than two coats and when the mascara is brand new I might use a spoolie to eradicate any clumps. As for removing this mascara I find that Philosophy's Purity Made Simple cleanser works best.

After one coat

Is BeneFit They're Real worth the hype?

Undeniably, YES! If you want a mascara to give you longer, thicker lashes I implore you to give They're Real a go if you haven't already. 

Debenhams are currently selling They're Real for £16.65. It's normally £18.50 from any BeneFit stockist.

Stace xx

Worth The Hype? Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream is one of those cult beauty products that everyone seems to have. I held off on trying it for a long time because it sounded like over-priced vaseline but after receiving a small tube of it in a gift set, I was hooked. 

Okay, so a 'skin protectant' is never going to be the most glamorous product considering the price but I'm willing to pay £25 for a tube of it because it works wonders on chapped lips, burns, acne, dry skin, irritated skin and a whole host of other minor skin problems. The only other downside to Eight Hour Cream is the smell; it can be a bit overpowering and unpleasant. I'm notorious for avoiding products with a scent I don't like (sickeningly sweet lip balms: bleurgh!) but I managed to handle this orange balm because the benefits outweighed the initial suffering. I'm so used to the scent now that it doesn't bother me at all.

I use my Eight Hour Cream most often as a lip balm but I've also used it recently all over my face before bed after a bad skin day and around my nose when I had a cold. It's become a staple of mine and I've yet to come across a similar cheaper product which works as well. 

Do I think Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream is worth the hype?

You bet I do!

You can pick up a tube online or at Elizabeth Arden stockists. 

Stace xx

Worth The Hype? NUXE Reve de Miel Lip Balm

A couple of months ago everyone seemed to be raving about this product. The NUXE Reve de Miel lip balm subsequently went to the top of my wish list and I finally purchased it last month.

The balm is priced at £9.50 on feelunique.com which I think is pretty reasonable as I've tried other balms which were more expensive but contained less product. I also think the packaging is really nice even if the heavy glass jar isn't particularly travel friendly. 

Aside from the packaging the first thing I noticed about the Reve de Miel balm was its scent. It smells delicious. Some reviews I've read say it smells like Terry's Chocolate Orange and it kind of does but with a bit more orange and a bit less chocolate. I expected it to smell like honey (which I don't particularly like) so I was a little surprised. 

I couldn't wait to try it so I popped some on my lips immediately and I have to say I was a tad disappointed. It felt so...chalky. I can't compare the texture to anything else I've tried because it's so different. I was expecting it to feel creamy and luxurious. That being said, once the product reacts with the heat of my lips it feels a bit less uncomfortable and the matte texture does work well under lipsticks. Because the Reve de Miel balm isn't slippery it lasts for a long time on the lips so it's a nice one to use at night time. I think a lot of men would also like this product because it's not glossy at all. 

So, is the NUXE Reve de Miel balm worth the hype?

I'm in two minds about this one. I think it's a nice product and it's something I will use but for some reason I'm struggling to love it due to the texture. I don't think it necessarily deserves all of the hype it's received but it's still worth a try if you're a lip balm fiend like me.

Have you tried this product? Do you think it lives up to the hype?

Stace xx

Worth The Hype? Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed

When the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour blushes launched in the States they seemed to take the online beauty community by storm. Unfortunately these aren't available in the UK so I had to get a friend in the US to pick one up for me. I went for the shade Exposed because at the time I didn't have anything like it and it seemed to be the most popular shade.

The packaging is nice; I like the fact the colour of the compact matches the blush shade. It has a decent sized mirror inside if you need it and the blush pan can be easily popped out of the compact if you'd prefer to keep it in a Z palette or something similar. 

Exposed is a dusty rose-brown shade which doesn't look particularly exciting in the pan but it's a great colour to have on hand if you're not sure which blush to reach for. On my cheeks it looks much more brown than pink but I've seen it on a variety of skintones and it seems to look different on everyone. It can be worn subtly or more strongly depending on your preferences. I find that it's quite difficult to make Exposed look too in-your-face compared with other, more brightly coloured blushes I own. I have to be honest and say that the colour itself isn't particularly unique; there are similar shades available from other brands.

Texture-wise Exposed is quite dry and can be a tiny bit dusty compared with my much-loved NARS blushes but it's applies nicely to the cheeks and never looks patchy. I'm not sure that these blushes live up to their 12 -hour-wear claim but then I don't think I've tried a blush that lasts a full twelve hours on me. I find that I get about seven or eight hours of wear which is what I expect from the other blushes I use.

So, is Tarte Exposed worth the hype?

I think it is to an extent. It's a nice wearable, versatile shade and it's easy to use. If Tarte is readily available where you live I'd recommend having a look at Exposed if you don't already have a similar shade but if you're like me and don't have access to the brand I'm pretty sure NARS do a similar shade and if the quality is in line with most of the other NARS blushes I've tried, you won't be disappointed. 

Have you tried the Tarte Amazonian Clay blushes? What did you think?

Stace xx

PS - The shade Tipsy has been on my wish list for forever...I really don't need another orange blush though, do I?

Worth The Hype? MAC Satin Taupe

When I first started watching YouTube videos and reading blogs this eyeshadow was being touted as one of the best eyeshadows. Ever. So, of course, I bought it and used it every day for a month because I thought it was the best eyeshadow I owned. 

Satin Taupe is a brown-ish taupe shade and the finish has a subtle sheen. On my eyes it seems to pull more brown but I've noticed that it can pull more taupe, or even purple, on others. I've worn this shade on it's own all over the lid by itself or with a darker shade in the crease or as a crease colour with a lighter shade on the lid so it's quite versatile in that respect. I like to wear it on it's own with lots of mascara if I'm wearing a bold lip colour. 

Texture-wise it's not as buttery soft as something from Urban Decay, for example, but it is well pigmented and applies relatively smoothly. If I want it to look more like a sheer wash of colour I'll use a fluffier brush. I've always worn Satin Taupe over an eyeshadow base; my two favourites are the NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow base and Too Faced Shadow Insurance. I don't get any creasing and find that the colour doesn't fade very much (or at all) throughout the day. 

So, is MAC Satin Taupe worth the hype?

Maybe. It's a nice eyeshadow and one I'd recommend to most people . However, I don't think it's exceptionally unique and I'm sure it's possible to find a similar shade which is cheaper. 

What do you think?

You can pick this shadow up from MAC for £12.00 (link)

Stace xx

Worth The Hype? Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains

I've decided to do a little series on the blog called 'Worth The Hype?' My aim is to do a post once a week about products or groups of products that receive or have received a lot of attention from the beauty community. I usually try to make sensible decisions when buying new make up but sometimes when a product is talked about so much, I just have to try it and see what the fuss is about!

This week I'm going to be talking about the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains which launched in the UK this summer. Despite hearing good things about these products from Stateside bloggers and YouTubers I told myself that I didn't need them. I wasn't a fan of the Clinique Chubby Sticks that everyone seemed to be comparing these to so I thought I'd save my pennies. 

However, I was in Superdrug one day and spotted the Balm Stains. They were on offer for £5.99 (and still are in Boots - link) so I swatched a few. They were so much creamier and more pigmented than I expected and reminded me more of the Tarte Lip Surgence pencils than the Clinique Chubby Sticks. So, of course, I bought one. I picked up Rendezvous because it was the shade that caught my eye; I love orange shades!

Rendezvous

I decided to give it a whirl the next day and the first thing I noticed was how easy it was to apply. I applied a few layers for the most intense colour and went about my day. I topped it up every three or four hours (after eating/drinking) with ease and by the end of the day my lips were still orange. More importantly, my lips weren't dry at all. I've used this quite a few times now and can safely say that I love it. The sweet minty scent/taste helps as well!

Crush

So I went and bought another shade; Crush. It's a medium berry-red shade which I think will be perfect in during the colder months of the year (which in Glasgow means September - July!) I've only tried this shade once so far but in terms of texture, pigmentation and staying power it performs exactly like Rendezvous. 

Rendezvous 

On a final note I want to mention the packaging. I should have mentioned that first but got a bit carried away!  I've become a bit obsessed with a variety of chubby pencil type products and find that they're particularly great when it comes to lip products. I have relatively thin lips and sometimes normal lipsticks are difficult to use if I'm in a hurry, especially if they're quite pigmented or bright. I like the fact the Balm Stains don't require sharpening, too.

Crush

Are the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains worth the hype?

Yes! 

Rendezvous, Crush

Do you agree?

Stace xx